UNC Pembroke acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
UNC Pembroke is a public university in North Carolina that admits most qualified applicants (around 93%), which puts it in the accessible range. A rate like this means it admits most qualified applicants; the bar is less about clearing a single cutoff and more about how your full profile compares to admitted students.
Use this page to see what UNC Pembroke weighs, where it ranks among North Carolina schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1120, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at UNC Pembroke?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into UNC Pembroke?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into UNC Pembroke, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into UNC Pembroke?
At UNC Pembroke, your real chance depends on far more than the published 93% admit rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for UNC Pembroke in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is UNC Pembroke hard to get into?
UNC Pembroke is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 93% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into UNC Pembroke?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at UNC Pembroke, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. UNC Pembroke reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at UNC Pembroke by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at UNC Pembroke for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at UNC Pembroke with a 3.1 GPA and a 1090 SAT?
About 98% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1090 SAT, the middle of UNC Pembroke's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1200 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/unc-pembroke.
How to get into UNC Pembroke
Built from UNC Pembroke's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Getting into UNC Pembroke comes down to four decisions, each one visible in the data on this page.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at UNC Pembroke carries about a 2.98 core GPA and a 1150 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 970 to 1200 SAT (18 to 23 ACT). Submit a score at 1085 or higher; below 970, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
UNC Pembroke rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by UNC Pembroke's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.uncp.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to UNC Pembroke, and how many get in?
7,635 students applied to UNC Pembroke for fall 2023; 7,052 were admitted (92.4%). 908 enrolled. Only about 13% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. UNC Pembroke enrolls about 5,330 undergraduates in total, 63% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 14 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for UNC Pembroke?
Admitted students at UNC Pembroke post SAT scores of 970 to 1200 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1056. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 18 to 23. A score above 1200 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 970 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. UNC Pembroke is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What UNC Pembroke looks for
What UNC Pembroke weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
UNC Pembroke signals that it values rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores above the rest of the file. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from UNC Pembroke's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at UNC Pembroke
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does UNC Pembroke cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at UNC Pembroke (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $17,261 a year. Tuition and fees are $3,648 for NC residents and $7,648 for out-of-state students, a $4,000 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $10,260 a year, and it ranges from $7,919 for families earning under $30,000 to $15,999 for families earning over $110,000. 50% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do UNC Pembroke graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for UNC Pembroke students ten years after entry are $43,407 ($37,126 at the six-year mark). 44% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 72% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $25,000; 43% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How UNC Pembroke compares in North Carolina
UNC Pembroke ranks #37 most selective of 38 schools in North Carolina in our database.
Among the 38 North Carolina schools we track, UNC Pembroke ranks #37 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Duke University (6%) and Davidson College (13%) sit nearby, which makes North Carolina a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to UNC Pembroke
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
If UNC Pembroke is on your list, schools with a similar admit profile are worth a look: Cal State Northridge, Jackson State University, and Northwestern State University. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
More data for North Carolina: UNC Wilmington acceptance rate and your odds
Frequently asked questions
What is UNC Pembroke's acceptance rate?
UNC Pembroke admitted 7,052 of 7,635 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 92.4% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 13% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for UNC Pembroke?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 970 to 1200 on the SAT and 18 to 23 on the ACT. A score above 1200 is in the top quarter of admits. UNC Pembroke is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is UNC Pembroke test-optional?
Yes. UNC Pembroke reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does UNC Pembroke cost after financial aid?
The average net price at UNC Pembroke, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $10,260 a year against a sticker price of about $17,261. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $7,919 on average.
What do UNC Pembroke graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering UNC Pembroke are $43,407 a year among students who received federal aid, and 44% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does UNC Pembroke value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, UNC Pembroke weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does UNC Pembroke favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, UNC Pembroke generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at UNC Pembroke?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at UNC Pembroke specifically.
How does residency affect admission to UNC Pembroke?
As a public university, UNC Pembroke typically admits in-state students at a higher rate, and tuition differs sharply by residency. Select your home state in the calculator to fold the in-state effect into your estimate.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.